GSA-Limited-Source-Justification for Women Health Project_REDACTED.pdf

and information technology (EIT) use across the NLM in coordination with the business, IT and IT Security functions across the National Institutes of Health.

The NLM envisions a future in which data and information transform and accelerate biomedical discovery and improve health and health care.

Achieving this vision will require the NLM to focus and enhance its research, development, training, and information services to make more biomedical data findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (the FAIR principles), to invent the tools and services to turn data and information into knowledge and insight, and to develop the workforce capable of doing so. It will require new forms of partnership and engagement with stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including researchers, librarians, health professionals, entrepreneurs and innovators, underserved communities, and the public.

The purpose of this requirement is to acquire complex Information Technology (IT) services to continue supporting OCCS in the development, programming, and maintenance of the NLM critical project: Women’s Health project. The objective of this requirement is to acquire Contract resources for the continued growth and evolution of the Women’s health activities.

b. Project background

In collaboration with the Office of Women’s Health Research (OWHR) and with support of the White House Executive Order 14120 on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides support for the development of a novel NIH Discovery Service for Women’s Health Research (service) that enables patients, caregivers, medical professionals, researchers, and the general public to easily discover the latest findings and ongoing research activities in topics that affect women’s health. The web portal service will support public discovery of NIH investments in women’s health research. It will enable users to use women’s health research terms to find grants, intramural research, common data elements, literature, and relevant data. With it, users can quickly navigate and assemble datasets and survey the landscape of research and information for specific women’s health-related topics.

The Office of Computer and Communications Systems (OCCS) provides efficient and cost-effective computing and networking services, technical advice, and collaboration in informational sciences in support of the research and management programs offered across the NLM.

OCCS provides the NLM’s backbone computer networking facilities and manages the NLM’s Data Centers. OCCS supports, guides, and assists other NLM components with other services. OCCS provides professional programming services and computational and data processing facilities to meet the NLM program needs: designs and develops software; operates and maintains the NLM Computer Center; and provides extensive customer support for computer and network users.

OCCS as one of the NLM organizations has worked with other divisions within the NLM to design and frame the development of the infrastructure and internal system for NIH Discovery Service for Women’s Health Research

Other (specify): ____________________

• Type of action.

New requirement ☒ Follow-on Other (specify): ______________________

• Proposed contract/order type.

Firm-fixed-price ☒ Labor Hour Indefinite delivery (specify whether indefinite quantity, definite quantity, or requirements): ___________ Other (specify): ___________

• Acquisition identification number.

47QTCA23D00BQ / 75N97024F00001

Total estimated dollar value and performance/delivery period.

$721,763.54; 09/20/2024- 03/19/2025

4. Identification of the justification rationale [see 8.405-6(a) and (b)] and, if applicable, a demonstration of the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

a. Acquisition authority.

☒ This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple

Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted to fewer than the number required by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 8.405-6(a)(1) (i.e., fewer than three FSS contractors).

(A) An urgent and compelling need exists, and following the procedures would result in unacceptable delays

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Multiple

Award Schedule Program. Consideration of schedule contractors will be restricted only to the item peculiar to one manufacturer as provided in FAR 8.405-6(a)(2)

b. Demonstration of the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications to provide the required supply or service.

• Name and address of the proposed contractor(s).

Software Consultants, Inc.

8245 Boone Boulevard Suite 630 Vienna, VA 22182-3894

• Nature of the acquisition and proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications.

The Women’s Health project requires an expert with specialized skills in both AWS cloud architecture and DevOps practices, particularly tailored to healthcare application. Software Consultant Inc. (SCI) possesses a unique combination of expertise in AWS services and a deep understanding of the regulatory and compliance requirements specific to the healthcare industry. The Contractor has been working with the development team and other teams to successfully implement May 2024 and August 2024 deliveries. The Contractor’s experience in deploying secure and scalable solutions on AWS gives them the capability to deliver the necessary infrastructure for this women's health project.

The Women’s health project is very critical, the contractors from SCI have built a proven track record in designing and implementing cloud-based solutions for the Women’s health project through two successful deliveries. The Contractor’s experience in this domain ensures the Contractor is uniquely positioned to understand and address the specific technical challenges associated with Women’s health project, such as integrating various health data/information and ensuring seamless user experiences. The Contractor’s successful support project delivery makes them the sole provider with the requisite experience and capability to continue supporting this highly visible project.

To continue successfully expanding the implementation scope of the Women’s Health project depends on a tightly integrated approach that combines DevOps practices with cloud infrastructure on AWS. SCI contractors as the leader of OCCS DevOps/Tools and AWS Architect offer a unique capability to design, build, and manage this integrated solution, ensuring continuous deployment, automated testing, and rapid scaling as needed. The Contractor’s ability to provide end-to-end DevOps solutions that are fully optimized for AWS environments is unmatched. Engaging another provider would require significant time and resources to replicate this integrated approach, which is critical to the project’s success. Additionally, the SCI digital data analysts have successfully implemented and deployed Google Analytics 4 (GA4) at the NLM and performed data analysis for other NLM applications to measure and evaluate the value of the NLM’s services. With the Contractor’s experiences with GA4 and familiarity with the NLM Information Technology environment, within a short time, the Contractor can implement tracking codes and tags (using tools like Qualtrics, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), etc.) to capture user interactions, behaviors, and events within the portal - DiscoverWHR. This will help the NLM and the Office of Women’s Health Research (OWHR) to understand user behavior on the portal, including page views, navigation paths, session durations, and conversion rates, and identify trends and patterns in how users interact with the DiscoverWHR for the future improvement.

Given the attention and priority involved in this project, it is imperative to work with an expert who has deep knowledge of AWS security best practices and healthcare compliance standards. The SCI contractors who currently work on Women’s health are uniquely qualified in this regard, having successfully designed and implemented secure AWS architectures that meet stringent regulatory requirements. The Contractor’s expertise ensures that the project continuously will not only be compliant from the outset but will also be resilient against emerging security threats.

The SCI contractors who worked on other phases and projects of the Women’s health project have developed proprietary tools and methodologies that are specifically designed to facilitate the rapid deployment and scaling of cloud-based health solutions.

The Contractor’s deep understanding of AWS services allows them to tailor the cloud architecture to meet the unique needs of the Women's health project, ensuring that it can scale seamlessly as the project grows. This capability is critical to achieving the project’s long-term goals. The Contractor’s unique approach to scalability and customization makes them the sole provider capable of continue delivering the necessary support.

5. Determination by the ordering activity Contracting Officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d).

Since GSA has already determined the prices of the supplies and services under this contract (including rates for services offered at fixed hourly rates) to be fair and reasonable, the ordering activity has concluded that the order represents the best value to the Government. However, price reductions from the Contractor’s schedule rates will still be requested if appropriate to ensure the Government receives the most favorable pricing possible.

6. Description of the market research conducted among schedule holders and the results, or a statement of the reasons market research was not conducted.

The Women’s Health project is highly visible, with the tentative public launch of DiscoverWHR quickly approaching. As new features and functionalities are planned, the focus is shifting to swiftly securing the necessary contract resources to ensure support and operations, thereby minimizing the risk of delays. The current SCI contract resources have already proven reliability and strong technical expertise, having successfully supported two other internal Women’s Health project milestones. SCI’s ability to collaborate effectively with the NIH, NLM, the NIH Center for Information Technology (CIT), address technical issues, provide clear updates, and maintain transparency throughout project lifecycles has demonstrated its value. SCI’s technical skills and seamless teamwork make it indispensable to the project's success. Given the urgency of the launch date, extensive market research was not conducted. A preliminary review of potential schedules and available contracting vehicles was conducted. This six-month award will ensure project deadlines are met until a future longer-term contract re-procurement can be performed.

Additional market research will be conducted prior to any follow-on procurements, but several critical factors must be considered. Onboarding new contractors could introduce a steep learning curve, leading to inefficiencies, delays, and reduced service quality. There is also the risk of inconsistent performance and a lack of familiarity with the NLM’s IT environment and processes, which could jeopardize meeting deadlines. Therefore, the NLM/OCCS must prioritize seeking contract resources with proven Women’s Health project experience and a strong track record to ensure the continued success of the Women’s Health project and other critical NLM initiatives.

7. Any other facts supporting the justification.

Since the Women’s Health project has a very tight schedule, deliverable requirements, and multiple delivery timelines, it is in the best interests of the Government to use the Contract resources that have worked on other aspects of the Women’s Health project based on the following:

Continuity and Consistency: Leveraging Contract resources in conjunction with the knowledge and experience gained from other phases of the Women’s Health project will ensure continuity in the project. This consistency is critical for maintaining the project's momentum and ensuring that there is no loss of knowledge or expertise. A transition to a new contractor or provider could introduce delays and risks, potentially disrupting the project's progress and undermining its success.

Preserved Project Knowledge: The Contract Resources with Women’s Health project knowledge and experience have developed a deep understanding of the project's goals, challenges, and technical requirements. Those resources possess project knowledge that is essential for efficiently addressing any issues that arise and for making informed decisions quickly. Starting with another contractor would require significant time and effort to transfer this knowledge, which could result in delays and added costs.

Cost-Effectiveness: Leveraging contract resources in conjunction with the knowledge and experience gained from other phases of the Women’s Health project can be cost-effective. Contract Resources with other phase experience are familiar with the project's scope, requirements, constraints, the NLM/OCCS IT environment, change management process/procedure, and security setup. It reduces the need for additional onboarding or initial setup costs as well as training and learning curve time.

Proven Performance: The Contract Resources with Women’s Health project knowledge and experience have demonstrated the ability to meet the project's requirements and deliver quality results. Engaging a new contractor introduces uncertainty regarding ability to perform at the required level, which could jeopardize the project's success.

Time-Sensitive Nature of the Project: For the Women’s Health project, time is of the essence. The funds for the Women’s Health project have been determined.

As part of the strategy to further promote the Women's Health Portal, the NLM has planned extensive outreach through social media, email campaigns, and other channels. To maximize the impact of this promotion, the development team now needs to rapidly enhance the Women’s Health Project portal by adding more features, content resources, and tools. These updates are critical to ensuring that the portal remains a comprehensive and valuable resource for users, and the plan is to implement them within a very short timeframe. The time required to go through a new procurement process, including the solicitation, evaluation, and selection of a new contractor, could result in significant delays. These delays might compromise the project's objectives, especially if the project is tied to another specific deadline or is responding to urgent needs. By using Contract resources with experience in other phases of the project, the project can proceed without the risk of such delays.

Established Relationships and Trust: The Women’s Health project requires a lot of coordination and collaboration among different teams, such as the development team, SysOps team, network security team, CIT, etc. The experienced Contract resources have established and effective communication channels in place. This established communication facilitates smoother collaboration and quicker resolution of issues. Transitioning to a new contractor could disrupt dynamics, leading to potential misunderstandings and inefficiencies.

Risk Mitigation: Changing Contract Resources, especially for the Women’s Health project that is under development will introduce several risks, including the potential for errors during the transition, loss of critical information, and misalignment with project objectives.

8. Statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made.

a. Removal of barriers to competition.

In anticipation of potential future acquisitions, the NLM/OCCS is actively exploring strategies to avoid continued limitation of sources. This includes assessing opportunities to re-compete successor requirements at milestones within the project's timeline. When it is feasible, the NLM/OCCS would consider re-evaluating and modifying requirements to facilitate broader competition, ensuring that smaller or specialized providers have the opportunity to participate.